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Work permit card for Alina Potok
رقم الكائنM2022/008:004
العنوانWork permit card for Alina Potok
الوصفWork permit/factory identification card issued to Alina Potok. The card includes a black and white photograph of Alina and lists her employer as Johann Klinger, Spiral Spring and Metal Goods Factory in Vienna.
Alina Gustawa Jarvin (nee Potok) was born 29 October 1930 in Bedzin, Poland to Salezy and Rachela Potok (nee Niemiec). Salezy's family owned and operated a variety of successful businesses in oil, margarine and timber yards.
In September 1939, attempting to distance themselves further from Germany's border, Alina's family moved to Lwow, Poland. They travelled by truck further East and to illegally cross the border at Vilno, but were caught by Russian forces. There her family were separated. Salezy was sentenced to five years in Siberia for the illegal crossing attempt (he would later join the Polish forces under the Russians) whilst Alina and her mother returned to Bedzin.
In Bedzin, Alina, her mother and extended family were forced to move into the town's Jewish quarter in July 1940. Alina recalls her mother had hiding spaces to evade the roundups in the ghetto; a small crawl space behind a wardrobe and eventually a cellar. During the ghetto's liquidation in August 1943, Rachela and Alina, along with other residents were discovered in the cellar. As they waited in line to be transported, her mother gave her a gold necklace and instructed her to escape. This would be the last time Alina saw her mother.
Under the guise of retrieving water, Alina ran away with her friend, Secha, hiding in an abandoned apartment block. After some time, the children went to Secha's maid for shelter but Alina was turned away. Alina tried again to get help with several family acquaintances including a nanny and chauffeur. All would not take her in. During her visit with the family chauffeur, she discovered her mother had continued to correspond with a cousin in Berlin and she made plans to travel to her. To pay for her train fare, she exchanged her mother's gold necklace with the chauffeur.
In Berlin, she found and stayed with her mother's cousin, hiding in the family's apartment. This would not last. The family escaped Berlin, leaving Alina alone in the apartment at the age of 13. As a runaway with no identification, she was unable to support herself and during bombardments could not go to bomb shelters. She managed to communicate with an uncle's contact from I G Farben who hid her in Hucisko, Poland with farmers. When she could not pay the couple or her uncle's contact, she was brought back, eventually travelling to Warsaw to search for other family rumoured to be living on false papers.
Once in Warsaw, she discovered her extended family had already fled. Although she had no family, she found work as a housemaid for a gentleman connected with the Polish underground. Through these connections she was able a false baptism certificate. She worked as a labourer in various factories in Warsaw and then Vienna to support herself. She worked for Johann Klinger at the Spring and Metalworks factory before she was selected to dig trenches and work in a kitchen peeling potatoes. During her time in Vienna with Klinger's factory, she was befriended by a Polish woman named Greta who would complete work tasks for her and provide her with food. As the Russians advanced in 1945, the factory was shut down and she lived with Greta.
After the war ended, she registered for repatriation to Poland. At this time she believed her entire family had been murdered and enquired with acquaintances such as an old French teacher about accommodation. Unbeknownst to Alina her father, Salezy, had been released from the army and searching for her through newspaper advertisements. Through her teacher, they were reunited and together they left Poland to Germany, arriving at Starnberg and Feldafing DP (Displaced Persons) camp.
Alina and Salezy arrived in Australia on the DERNA on 5 November 1948. She married in 1951 and had two sons. She established herself working as an advertising manager for Clothing News, a fashion trade magazine, before working in the travel industry, opening Astronaut Travel. Salezy passed away in 1983. Alina passed away 28 July 2008, aged 77.
Alina Gustawa Jarvin (nee Potok) was born 29 October 1930 in Bedzin, Poland to Salezy and Rachela Potok (nee Niemiec). Salezy's family owned and operated a variety of successful businesses in oil, margarine and timber yards.
In September 1939, attempting to distance themselves further from Germany's border, Alina's family moved to Lwow, Poland. They travelled by truck further East and to illegally cross the border at Vilno, but were caught by Russian forces. There her family were separated. Salezy was sentenced to five years in Siberia for the illegal crossing attempt (he would later join the Polish forces under the Russians) whilst Alina and her mother returned to Bedzin.
In Bedzin, Alina, her mother and extended family were forced to move into the town's Jewish quarter in July 1940. Alina recalls her mother had hiding spaces to evade the roundups in the ghetto; a small crawl space behind a wardrobe and eventually a cellar. During the ghetto's liquidation in August 1943, Rachela and Alina, along with other residents were discovered in the cellar. As they waited in line to be transported, her mother gave her a gold necklace and instructed her to escape. This would be the last time Alina saw her mother.
Under the guise of retrieving water, Alina ran away with her friend, Secha, hiding in an abandoned apartment block. After some time, the children went to Secha's maid for shelter but Alina was turned away. Alina tried again to get help with several family acquaintances including a nanny and chauffeur. All would not take her in. During her visit with the family chauffeur, she discovered her mother had continued to correspond with a cousin in Berlin and she made plans to travel to her. To pay for her train fare, she exchanged her mother's gold necklace with the chauffeur.
In Berlin, she found and stayed with her mother's cousin, hiding in the family's apartment. This would not last. The family escaped Berlin, leaving Alina alone in the apartment at the age of 13. As a runaway with no identification, she was unable to support herself and during bombardments could not go to bomb shelters. She managed to communicate with an uncle's contact from I G Farben who hid her in Hucisko, Poland with farmers. When she could not pay the couple or her uncle's contact, she was brought back, eventually travelling to Warsaw to search for other family rumoured to be living on false papers.
Once in Warsaw, she discovered her extended family had already fled. Although she had no family, she found work as a housemaid for a gentleman connected with the Polish underground. Through these connections she was able a false baptism certificate. She worked as a labourer in various factories in Warsaw and then Vienna to support herself. She worked for Johann Klinger at the Spring and Metalworks factory before she was selected to dig trenches and work in a kitchen peeling potatoes. During her time in Vienna with Klinger's factory, she was befriended by a Polish woman named Greta who would complete work tasks for her and provide her with food. As the Russians advanced in 1945, the factory was shut down and she lived with Greta.
After the war ended, she registered for repatriation to Poland. At this time she believed her entire family had been murdered and enquired with acquaintances such as an old French teacher about accommodation. Unbeknownst to Alina her father, Salezy, had been released from the army and searching for her through newspaper advertisements. Through her teacher, they were reunited and together they left Poland to Germany, arriving at Starnberg and Feldafing DP (Displaced Persons) camp.
Alina and Salezy arrived in Australia on the DERNA on 5 November 1948. She married in 1951 and had two sons. She established herself working as an advertising manager for Clothing News, a fashion trade magazine, before working in the travel industry, opening Astronaut Travel. Salezy passed away in 1983. Alina passed away 28 July 2008, aged 77.
التاريخ circa 1944
فترة الإنتاجWorld War II (1939-1945)
الموضوعworking card
الأبعاد
- width: 73.00 mm
height: 93.00 mm
اللغة
- German
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Freda Potok. This collection is donated in memory of of Alina Jarvin (nee Potok)